Hi! Yes, total thyroidectomy can treat Grave's disease to a great extent, and has now replaced partial thyroidectomy. After surgery however, life long thyroid hormone replacement will be required. However, there remains a chance of hypothyroidism and other complications, and not all Grave disease patients are suitable for this. Please discuss with your treating specialist. Take care!

Hey kellybean71,
Welcome to the forum.
First, the above reply by Dr. Mathur is correct.
However, should there be something seriously wrong let's say with your
arm-some type of autoimmune condition-would you agree to have it amputated,before exploring ALL other possibilities and options?
You see, there's some underlying imbalance in the immune system, causing all this.
Highly suspect in Grave's Disease is a metabolic dysfunction causing the immune system to turn against the thyroid. AKA: Autoimmune
Before making any decisions, explore this possibility.
My suggestion is to seek a reputable Energy Medicine Doctor or Therapist
that specializes in "Allergy Antidotes" or N.A.E.T.( Dr Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques) to verify and eliminate any possible
intolerances that may be connected to your issues.
There are also many herbal remedies that you may want to investigate
that may help contain GD.
The body must be treated as a whole, and only when there's NO other alternative, one can consider more invasive means like Thyroidectomy.
Personally I would rather deal with HyperThyroidism, than no Thyroid!
Please research carefully, as this surgery once performed cannot be reversed.
Wishing you well.
Niko

Oh wow!!!! You really said you'd "rather deal with hyper thyroid than no thyroid'?!? I have hashi's AND graves' and there comes a point when you are so sick and tired of hearing "lets just wait and see" from the doctors...These disorders ROB you of a normal life and "dealing" with them for some of us is not an option....

My endocrinologist told me that once you test positive for Graves antibodies, you will always have the antibodies. However, with a TT, you "lose" the thyroid symptoms. He did warn me though that I would have to be vigilent in checking my eyes for the Graves Eyes disorder. (remember: still have the antibodies so the possibility of the eye disorder is still there because you still have your eyes.)

Hey Tonibrookshire.
Welcome to the forum.
I fully understand what it is to deal with "ignorant" and uncaring doctors.
It is unfortunately the medical merry-go-round ride
One thing I want to stress is that: Auto- immune disease does NOT mean that your immune system just decides to go crazy and starts attacking itself and the body it is supposed to defend.
It means that medical science, doctors, labs and the entire medical system either cannot are do not want to verify that your immune system is attacking a pathogen within a particular part or organ of the body. There a number of pathogenic infections that initiate MOST of the so-called autoimmune diseases.
Once these infectious conditions are allowed to be expressed-by a weak immune system, high stress levels or other serious imbalances and disorders- they start their invasive process by attacking the weakest areas first. Check out Dr. David Brownstein's website.
Dr. David Brownstein in Michigan has treated many Graves and Hashi patients successfully, using Holistic methods mainly . He has published books on Thyroid Disorders, Arthritis, Hormones..and more.
( He serves as the Medical Director for the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Dr. Brownstein is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Brownstein is Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Preventive Medicine, Acupuncture Society of Michigan, American College for the Advancement in Medicine and The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture)

The world's top expert on pathogenic mycoplasmas and autoimmune disease is Dr. Garth Nicolson -research and treatment. check at immed.org
He has been a contributor in Medhelp. Do a forum search for that.
In conventional medicine there's absolutely no explanation as of why autoimmune diseases take place. If they do not understand what causes these conditions, how can an effective treatment be implemented.
The answer is prescribed medication to manage or mask the symptoms, or
invasive procedures and surgeries.
And patients have enough with ANAs and Antibodies, positives and negatives and false positives and NOTHING conclusive at the end.
Let's see and wait... You are so right. People's health issues should be treated with respect, care and with the intention to help heal.
Where has our society gone so wrong? Our medical system has become so dysfunctional, to the point that we have to be our own doctors, or at least knowledgeable and proactive with our health matters.
I am so glad that I have NO tolerance for such incompetence.
My previous family doctor is no longer practicing! It pays to get to the bottom of things.
By the way I'm not vindictive at all.
Just an advocate for patients rights and health care reform.
My current one probably does't know what I look like- lol! And I don't intend to go to him any time soon.
Tell your endocrinologist that those antibodies will likely disappear the moment the underlying infection is dxed and treated!
Meanwhile ensure your immune system is as strong and as balanced as possible, keep your focus on your improvement and the "bad cards" you were dealt may be exchanged for better ones!
Wish you well.
Niko

Graves or Hashimoto can be debilitating and invisible to the people around you.

Many with graves take anti thyroid meds, if they are still hyper then the thyroid is yanked out, medically changing the individual to hypothyroid. If you no longer have a thyroid (every cell in the body used thyroid hormone) you will now need to take thyroid replacement hormone for life - very common. And the gold standard T4 med (synthyroid and its generics) most likely will not be enough. Many without a thyroid also take the either thyroid hormone T3 since the thyroid gland itself is partially responsible for converting the storage hormone T4 to the active usable hormone T3.

T3 and T4 is available in synthetics individually or combined in a natural dessicated (pig thyroid) form like Armour (made in US) or Erfa thyroid (made in Canada).

When seeking unproven alternative treatments the possible improvements can be measured by monitoring the thyroid antibodies not just symptom relief. Because - If the antibodies are still there the thyroid is still being attacked and illness will presume.

Note: I have had Hashimoto for decades but have been hyper from changing med hormone too - so I temporally experienced for one month, two times, what hyper feels like too. Both are miserable. But its not like you can lay and rest with hyper. Hard to live with just several hours of sleep per night.

Thyoid disorder forum will know more specific Graves questions, several thyroidless people there..

The real answer for Graves and Hashimoto is what is causing the antibodies in the first place. We have had these discussions there in the past.

The medical community seems to be happy with treating the symptoms and not looking for the causes - big pharma would lose money if many causes for disease were found. The leading thyroid association voice for Dr's is almost invisibly owned by the makers of Synthroid (hypo T4 med). So were srcewed from the start. This publishment leans against the supplementation of T3 meds which many long time Hashi patients and those without a thyroid need to just function on a day to day basis if they have a job to go to.

The most popular alternative treatment is touted in different forms but most follow this Dr 'K' protocol who sells his system to natural health professionals. Is primarily about diet that matches your body type and focus's in gluten but is divided into two body blood type diets with supps to take.

I did go gluten free once, it did help with bad GERD at the time from a gut Candida buildup that feeds on gluten and sugar, but did nothing for my Hashi antibodies or Hashi symptoms. My gerd has since gone. So gluten is not the cause of my Hashimoto Antibodies.

Do you have food sensitivities at all? Identifying / eliminating these might help with some symptoms even if antibody levels do not change, I think this is more obvious with Hashi than Graves though.

Hopefully one day there will be a breakthru on all antibodies. Imagine all the disease that could be cured.

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